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One of the best parts of the Wyndham Rewards program for award travelers is the three-tier award chart it has maintained since 2019. That consistency has become especially valuable as other programs have raised award rates through dynamic award pricing and higher award-category caps.
But on Sept. 15, the program will move from three fixed award night tiers — 7,500, 15,000 and 30,000 points — to four: 5,000, 15,000, 30,000 and 45,000 points. A Wyndham Rewards spokesperson told TPG that the 45,000-point tier will be “for a small number of our most elevated hotels.”
The spokesperson went on to explain why Wyndham Rewards is changing its award chart, stating, “Our program has evolved significantly since we first introduced three fixed redemption tiers in 2019. In that time, we’ve added hundreds of luxury, lifestyle, and all-inclusive hotels. These changes reflect that growth while staying true to what we know members value most.”
Wyndham will redistribute its properties across the four tiers on Sept. 15. Many properties will still cost the same 15,000 or 30,000 points per night that they cost now, but some will shift up or down. The Wyndham Rewards spokesperson told TPG that “the bulk” of properties will remain in the lowest three tiers.
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I’m thankful Wyndham Rewards will continue to maintain a fixed award chart with no dynamic pricing or peak pricing. After all, it’s really nice to know a particular property will cost a specific number of points on any date as long as there’s award availability.
And, as I’ve only redeemed Wyndham points for 7,500- and 15,000-point nights since the program introduced the current award chart in 2019, I expect this change to be relatively insignificant for me. But if you typically redeem Wyndham points for 30,000-point nights, this change will likely be very impactful.
Luckily, Wyndham Rewards is giving travelers several months of notice ahead of this change. So, if you’ve had your eye on specific redemptions — especially those you expect to increase in award price on Sept. 15 — go ahead and make your bookings ahead of Sept. 15. After all, you can book most Wyndham Rewards properties up to a year in advance, and points bookings are usually refundable until shortly before your stay.
Best of all, Wyndham Rewards confirmed that bookings made before Sept. 15 will be honored at the current rates. And if you book a property that decreases its award rates when the changes take effect, Wyndham Rewards says the difference in points will be automatically refunded. So, for travelers with enough points and an understanding of each property’s cancellation policy, there’s little downside to locking in speculative award bookings before the Sept. 15 changes.
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Bottom line
The good news is that some properties currently priced at 7,500 points per night will drop to 5,000 points per night on Sept. 15. The bad news is that some properties currently priced at 30,000 points per night will increase to 45,000 points per night.
For many Wyndham Rewards members, this may be a modest change — especially if their preferred properties remain at 15,000 or 30,000 points, or drop to 5,000 points. But for travelers who favor Wyndham’s higher-end redemptions, the new 45,000-point tier represents a meaningful devaluation.
Still, Wyndham is giving members advance notice, honoring bookings made before Sept. 15 at current rates and automatically refunding the difference if you book a property before Sept. 15 that then drops in award price. So, members with specific Wyndham redemptions in mind should consider booking before Sept. 15.
